Raúl Grijalva

The importance of the industry is why I have introduced legislation to create a 21st Century Great Outdoors Commission.

The Outdoor Industry Association estimates that outdoor recreation creates $646 billion in direct consumer spending, and $80 billion in Federal, State, and local taxes.

Thank you, Chairman Bishop. Thank you for holding this hearing today. I think this is a critical issue, and one that deserves attention.

In my home State of Arizona, outdoor recreation is a $10 billion industry that supports $3.5 billion in wages and salaries.

Too often we fight over oil and gas development, logging, mining, when the real economic engine fueling many communities is the recreation economy.

Recreation and the money recreation generates from our public lands is important.

I think it is appropriate to raise it dramatically, if not even have an unlimited cap.

Secret payments can be easily demanded by corrupt governments. They can also be a signal that maybe a company is involved in risky business overseas.

I think the accurate statement is that rule was fully mandated by Dodd-Frank and the SEC was obligated by law to release the rule in its current form.

The report found that Congress did nothing about the many other critical issues the Commission identified to improve safety and environmental protection beyond the RESTORE Act.

I support the NEPA process because it takes into account all those other factors, and just doesn't knee-jerk a particular need at a particular time.

What we are talking about is NEPA is the process that allows people to have a say everywhere.

I believe that those people's voices were not taken into consideration at the time that they made that designation.

Yes, I think they should be voted upon, and I think the voice of the people should be heard.

I believe that NEPA should take place. I think that the people's voice should be heard.

Do you believe that--or think that the same type of urgency applies to other landscapes in the West, with archeological resources that might be at risk?

Your assessment about the destructive effect, do you think the Escalante Chamber of Commerce or the people of Boulder, Utah would agree that that devastation has occurred?

NEPA has such a backlog. I mean, to get anything done, we are way behind and it takes way, way too much time.

It is very, very important that the local people have a say in what is happening to their lands.

There has got to be a better way of doing this.

The more the Majority obstructs conservation efforts, the more the public will realize that they are not being well represented.

Public lands are a net positive for our State. There's really no way to deny their enormous contribution.

The Antiquities Act is a landmark law that should be celebrated, not relentlessly attacked for the sake of scoring a few political points.

The Antiquities Act deserves the attention of Congress, but I am disappointed to see that the majority thinks it needs to be tampered with and watered down.

This law is not a law that is abused. This is a law that Presidents have used as a last resort, on many occasions.